Who else would you suspect?
by kate882
Summary: When someone witnesses your twin commit a crime, but everyone thinks he's dead, who else would they think had done it but you? Obito has this experience when his brother, Madara, kills almost the entire Uchiha clan. Joined by a new traveling companion, Obito has to go find his brother in order to prove that he didn't commit the crimes he's being accused of.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"It seems like a bad idea. We could get in trouble." Obito commented, leaning against the wall of his bedroom as Madara dug through his closet for something that wasn't 'unbearably idiotic looking' as his clothing had been called. Because apparently a touch of color other than blue and black was really that bad. It wasn't as big of a deal as Madara made it sound.

"You've never been one to care much about getting in trouble." Madara said with a scoff, not even bothering to look up from what he was doing. "Weren't you just grounded last night for getting into that fight with Sasuke?"

"That was different. And it's not my fault that he told mom I cursed in front of him. I mean, it kind of is, but he still didn't have to get me in trouble for it. It's not like he doesn't talk the same way around Naruto." The last part was muttered, but Madara still clearly heard since he poked his head out of Obito's closet long enough to roll his eyes at him.

"He's seven. He does not talk like that around anyone. And if he does, it's because Naruto's a bad influence on him." Madara refused to see Sasuke as anything other than a perfect little Uchiha. Obito had a different opinion. The kid could be okay sometimes, usually when Naruto was around, but Obito wouldn't trust him as far as he could throw him. If the little brat ratted him out again he may find out just how far that was. But that was a thought for another time. Right now he was focused on his twin, who seemed to have found something he could stand to be seen in, even if he wasn't being seen as himself.

"I still think this is a bad idea." Obito told him.

"We've done this a thousand times." Probably pretty close. One of the fun things about having an identical twin was getting to trade places and confuse people.

And honestly, the only real way to tell Madara and Obito apart were their clothing styles and personalities. Madara stuck to the typical dark blue and black with the Uchiha crest. Obito was almost never without his trusty orange tinted goggles –"No Madara, they aren't stupid, you are!"- and could be found with hints of colors in his clothing. There was also their levels of ability with the sharingan, but unless they were fighting that wasn't much of a giveaway. Madara was better at it, but Obito was working hard every day to catch up.

"Yeah, but that's always just been for fun. This is serious." Obito objected.

"Of course it is. That's why I'm going to do it."

Obito knew it wasn't meant to be mean, but that didn't make it not sting a bit.

"I can do serious things." He insisted.

Madara didn't confirm or deny that. "Well, you asked for my help." He pointed out. Which wasn't quite true. Obito had woken up and promptly fallen out of bed when the alarm went off –late no less, he must have hit snooze a few times.

Madara had come running in to make sure Obito was okay, only to find Obito in a mess of papers, books, and blankets. Obito explained (read: frantically muttered until Madara was able to figure out what he was talking about) how he had fallen asleep trying to study for a test and how it was such a big grade and he didn't have time now. So, oh so helpfully, Madara had taken it upon himself to help Obito by taking it for him. Madara's class had taken it the week before and were having a silent work day that day anyway, so it wasn't like Obito would have to do much as Madara.

Thus it wasn't quite that Obito had asked for help as Madara decided he needed it. He didn't want to argue too much though, because he really did need the help.

It was simpler then he thought it would be. No one questioned that they might not be who they said they were. Which could say something for their acting skills. Or for their friends attention skills. Obito kind of wondered if he should be offended that none of his friends thought anything was even a little off. He also wondered if Madara had the same worries about his own friends.

When he asked about it, Madara had simply told him, "If they couldn't tell, then we did our jobs. If they don't know then our teaches definitely don't, so consider it a good thing."

* * *

><p>Obito didn't spend a lot of time in his apartment. He had missions, friends, and sometimes just didn't feel like staying there.<p>

Today, however, he went home. He'd just gotten back from a mission getting some intel from a few Mist ninja. He was tired and just wanted to go to sleep. He was already back later than he was supposed to be. He hadn't even bothered dropping off the mission report. He'd do it in the morning after he'd gotten some rest.

It seemed that the universe had different plans for him.

He noticed the figure in the shadows as soon as he walked into his appartment, and had his sharingan activated in no time.

Upon further inspection he saw that the intruder was wearing an Ambu mask. He wasn't sure if that should make him feel better or worse about the situation.

"Can I help you?" He asked, looking the other up and down to take in every detail. Hound design on the mask, average height, male. Nothing very identifying, but he knew that was the point.

"Uchiha Obito?" Came a voice from behind the mask.

"The one and only." He replied, still a little suspicious of the situation.

"I need you to come with me."

He couldn't think of a single thing he had done to warrant a visit from an Ambu, certainly nothing that would require him to go anywhere.

"Of course. May I know why?" Obito asked as he opened the door and walked out with the masked man behind him. He didn't get an answer, but that wasn't particularly surprising.

They walked together for a few blocks before Obito decided to make his escape. Or attempt to. He figured he had a fifty/fifty shot at actually getting away. He'd had worse odds before.

He took off running, suddenly making a sharp turn as he did so.

He couldn't hear the Ambu's footsteps, but he knew the other was following him. Even if he couldn't sense his chakra, Obito wasn't so delusional that he actually believed it would be as simple as running. And that hound mask would make trying ginjutsu on this guy a pain in the ass because of the inability to make eye contact from a distance.

He aimed his body to look like he was going to turn one way, but then went the other. The simple trick did nothing to shake the Ambu, but he would be concerned for the safety of the village if it was that easy to shake its best ninja.

Obito mentally decided to name said Amub, because he couldn't just keep calling him 'the Ambu' as if he were actually the only one following him. Wherever one was you could expect about half a dozen to be close by. So, hound mask Ambu was now dubbed Steve as far as Obito was concerned.

Speaking of Steve, he had apparently decided that was the perfect time to appear in front of him. So, Obito took that as his cue to take this little chase scene up to the rooftops.

Without even a moment for surprise at Steve showing up in front of him, Obito gathered his chakra in the soles of his feet and ran up the side of the yellow building next to him, before he started moving from roof top to roof top, Steve following close behind.

He was a bit surprised when Sasuke showed up, but decided to take back every bad thing he'd ever said about his cousin since the boy was standing between himself and Steve. He was all for Steve's path to him being blocked.

Until Sasuke started making hand signs Obito recognized and launched a fire ball bigger than Sasuke himself at him. After that all bad things said about him were reinstated, and a few new ones were added.

He could use Sasuke's attempted murder to his advantage though.

Obito waited until the last possible second to dodge, let Sasuke and Steve infer the pause as shock from Sasuke's slightly sociopathic betrayal. When the fire was just about on him, blocking his body from sight, he made a clone. The shadow clone dodged the fire by jumping to the next roof and started yelling at Sasuke about 'just what the hell did he think he was doing?' while the real Obito escaped the fire by jumping down to the street below them.

As soon as his feet hit the ground he was running. He didn't even begin to slow down until he was a few miles away from the village.

He still didn't know what he could have done to cause Steve to come after him, and Sasuke to want to try to kill him, but he had no plans of sticking around to find out.

He did eventually have to stop to try and figure out what he was going to do. He'd have to find out what was going on, but he couldn't go back to the village to do that. Could it be bad enough to have other villages know about it? He'd know if he'd some something that bad, wouldn't he? Although, one would think he would know he did something bad enough to have Steve chasing him and Sasuke trying to –

"Madara, what have you done?" He asked, not even realizing he was speaking out loud, as realization dawned on him. Obito hadn't done anything, but he wasn't the only person who looked like him. And with everyone thinking Madara was dead, who could blame them for thinking he had done whatever it was Madara had done?

Then the goal was to find his brother. Hidden Sand village it was.

Finally, having a destination, Obito started moving again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Obito had been bugging his team mate for a solid week to get Rin to tell him how she was able to tell him and Madara apart. Only their parents had ever been able to that when they switched places, and even sometimes they got things wrong. Rin hadn't gotten them mixed up once in the time since they had become team mates.

"Promise to to tell Madara?" She finally asked, apparently giving in to Obito's relentless questioning.

"Deal." He agreed quickly. If he had known that was all he had to do to get the information he would have agreed not to tell Madara a week ago.

"It's your eyes. They're different." She told him, sitting down on a bench and patting the spot next to her to tell Obito to sit down with her.

Obito frowned at the answer, shaking his head as he sat down. "He's better with the sharingan than me, but you tell us apart without that." He replied.

"Not what I mean. His eyes are . . .colder? I guess that's the word I'm looking for. You're friendlier, and it shows in your eyes. Makes you seem more approachable." She explained, smiling at him when she was satisfied that she had explained it to him to the best of her abilities. The smile sent his heart fluttering and he grinned back at her.

"Well, now I know why you don't want me telling Madara. You don't want him to hear that you think he looks mean." Obito teased.

"T-that's not what I said! I just said that you look friendlier." She was blushing slightly as he corrected him.

It was about a week later that he got into a fight with Madara.

"You knew! You knew that I love her, but you still –I can't believe you! Actually, I can. That's the worst part. That I can't even really be that surprised that you did this." He shouted.

"I'm entitled to date whomever I please if they wish to go out with me as well. It's not my fault that you didn't ask her first." Madara replied calmly.

"How could I if she was always blushing at just the mention of your name?" If Madara noticed the moister gathering in his twin's eyes behind the orange goggles he at least had the decency to not say anything about it.

"Do you even care about her?" Obito asked, after a moment, voice much quieter than it had been the last time he spoke.

"She's a good team mate, and it's ideal to have a partner who can tell me apart from you." Madara replied with a shrug.

Obito considered telling him about how she could only tell them apart because he looked less approachable than Obito, but he'd promised her he wouldn't tell. He wasn't going to break his promise to her just because he was upset.

"But if it's really that big of a deal to you, I'll break up with her." Madara told him.

He wanted to say yes. To tell Madara to absolutely do that. The sooner the better. But instead, he found himself shaking his head. "No. Don't do that. I don't want to be the reason you two aren't happy. I wish you hadn't started in the first place, but don't break up with her just because of my feelings." Obito told him, shoulders slumping as the anger drained from him, leaving him feeling tired and empty.

"Thank you." Was the simple response he got from Madara. And then his brother left the room and he was alone.

* * *

><p>"So, did you hear about that Uchiha Obito guy?" Obito asked the man next to him at the bar in the small town he'd stopped in for the night.<p>

It wasn't the best bar. It was tiny, with an even tinier selection of drinks, and was so old he worried it would collapse on all of them. All of them being himself, the guy next to him, the owner, and someone who was already passed out drunk at a booth. But, from his experience, bards were good for getting information.

Although, he'd been questioning that until the silver haired man walked in.

His hair seemed to defy gravity, and he wore a mask up to his nose. He chose the seat next to Obito and said he'd have what he was having.

They'd been chatting for a few minutes, sipping at beers that cost too much for tasting so cheap. Somehow his new drinking buddy managed to drink his beers whenever Obito looked at something else, so he still didn't know what his face looked like.

"Of course I have. I think everyone alive has heard about him by now." The man replied.

"Well, I keep hearing about him, but I still have no clue why. Did he do something?" Obito asked, taking another sip of the drink he questioned why he kept buying.

He got an odd look from his fellow bar goer; he was naming him Paco until he could find a good moment to ask him what his name actually was.

"You haven't heard? Where have you been these last few days?" Paco asked him.

"I've been traveling a bit. Lots of woods, not many people." Obito explained with a shrug.

"Well, the story is that he killed off nearly his entire clan. Itachi and Sasuke were the only survivors among the Uchihas. They got there late and Itachi was able to defend Sasuke. Now there's some speculations going around that this Obito guy killed his brother a few years back. It was deemed a mission casualty at the time, but after this people aren't so sure. Same for his former team mate, a girl named Rin, I think. After all, if he could kill the entire Uchiha clan, why not his team mates?"

Obito felt his entire body go numb with shock. All the Uchihas . . . no wonder Sasuke had tried to kill him. All of those people. His family. Obito knew those people. He considered a few of them friends. And they were all dead? How . . how could Madara have done something like that?

"You okay there?" Paco asked him, tilting his head slightly as he asked.

"Yeah, f-fine. I just –wow. That's pretty bad." Obito was usually pretty good with words, or at least coming up with more to say, but he was having trouble stringing a few simple sentences together.

"No kidding. Apparently he was always a pretty nice guy. What do you think would make a nice guy start killing his family?" Paco asked, and Obito didn't like how he looked like he actually wanted an answer. Because Obito sure as hell didn't know, but he intended to find out. Killed his brother, huh? He just might after hearing all of that.

"I don't know. Hopefully nothing too common so that it doesn't happen to anyone else." He managed to get out.

"Doesn't keep happening? I'll drink to that." Paco muttered.

So would Obito if he could find something a bit stronger than what they served here. A bottle of vodka would do good right about then. Maybe he could forget what he'd just heard for a few hours. "I'd join you in that, but I've got to start traveling again in the morning." Obito told him.

He finished the last of his drink, it wasn't good but he was damn well going to finish a drink that expensive. He was just glad he'd been still had on his bag from the mission he'd been on when Steve had shown up, so he actually had money to pay for it with.

"Where are you headed?" Paco asked him.

"Sand Village." Obito answered as he placed the money for his drinks on the bar.

"Me too. I actually know a shortcut there. You could come with me if you want. Traveling alone isn't very fun anyway." Paco offered with what Obito had come to realize was a smile. It was hard to tell at first with the mask, but he learned to start interpreting Paco's facial expressions, even with only half of his face showing.

He was a bit surprised by the offer, but the sooner he got to Madara the better, so he nodded. "Sounds great. I'll meet you here to leave at seven . . ." He trailed off, fishing for an actual name instead of just calling him Paco.

"Hatake Kakashi. Nice to meet you." The other said, holding out his hand to shake.

Obito recognized the name. He'd never actually met Kakashi, or even really seen him around, but plenty of people had heard of the son of the White Fang who wielded lightning as a weapon. He was also a Leaf Village ninja. One who didn't seem to recognize him at least.

"Ryugamine Mikado ." Obito replied, shaking the offered hand. He hadn't planned to use an anime character's name, but it was the first thing to come to mind besides his actual name.

"Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you in the morning. Have a nice night, Mikado." Kakashi said, giving him a friendly smile.

Obito nodded, returned the smile and then walked back to the inn he was staying in.

He didn't get much sleep. When he did he dreamed of his brother pretending to be him, killing off almost their entire family. Of Madara turning to face Obito, smirking at him and saying, "What's it called when a dead man kills? It can't be murder if they aren't alive to do it. Just sounds like the kind of question you'd ask, right?"

It was a thing Madara used to do a lot. Since they liked to switch places he'd sometimes say something and ask Obito if he thought Madara sounded like him. He usually did because they knew each other better than anyone else.

Dream Madara faded away to be replaced by Steve, the Ambu guy. His voice sounded familiar as he informed Obito of what he had done to his family.

Obito woke up screaming after dream Steve had killed him for Madara's crimes.

He quickly calmed himself down and looked at the time. Ten minutes after seven. Apparently, even on the run, old habits die hard.

Obito quickly got up, whipped the tears off his face, and got dressed.

He had ditched everything with an Uchiha crest and bought some new clothes as soon as he'd gotten away from the village. He didn't want to stand out, so he got very simple clothes. Black or blue shirts and black pants. He couldn't part with his orange goggles, so he kept them on where his Leaf Village head band was supposed to be. It felt really weird having nothing there anyway, so having those there helped with the weird feeling.

He'd kept his headband too. Wrapped in a shirt in the bottom of his bag. After all, he planned to go back after he'd found Madara to prove that he hadn't actually done anything.

Was being an accomplice in someone's death a crime if they weren't dead and asked for your help? Well, if so then he supposed he couldn't say he hadn't done anything, but he certainly hadn't killed his family, so he could prove that at least.

He rushed out as soon as he was dressed and packed. He payed for the room and ran to the bar to meet Kakashi.

He stopped at a coffee shop on the way. It made him a few minutes later, but it did get him something to eat, and he got Kakashi a coffee as a peace offering for the lateness.

"Hey, sorry. The line at the shop was super long, and then I had to help the barrista when she spilled some stuff, but I'm here now, and I brought coffee." Obito said, grinning at Kakashi and holding out the cup.

It didn't look like his new traveling companion was buying his bullshit, but he accepted the coffee nonetheless. And okay, Obito was really hoping to see what Kakashi's face looked like. It probably had more to do with buying him coffee than it being a peace offering did.

"It's not a problem. Thank you for the coffee. Shall we get going?"

"Yeah. What way are we going?" Obito asked, glancing around at their road options.

When he looked back at Kakashi the other ninja had already finished the coffee, and pulled up his mask. He was throwing away the now empty cup.

Obito made a silent promise to himself that he would see Kakashi's face eventually. It might have to be when he got back, but he'd see it.

"That way." Kakashi said, pointing towards the woods instead of one of the roads.

"The woods?"

"Yes. It's a lot faster."

Obito was getting kind of sick of hiking through woods, but he was all for faster. "Well then, a hike through the woods it is. Lead the way."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Madara didn't get angry often. Even less often after he got serious about Rin instead of thinking of her as just an ideal partner. When it did happen, it was usually best to stay out of his way._

_"Just who does he think he is?!" Madara shouted angrily._

_He and Obito were at the training area in the woods, and Madara was throwing shurikens with deadly force and accuracy at the targets._

_Obito sat a safe distance away, watching the display. "Our father." He suggested._

_"After that he certainly isn't mine." Madara seethed, throwing another shuriken._

_"Don't say that, Madara." Obito chastised._

_"And you!" Madara whirled around to face Obito, who was watching him calmly, but looked a little surprised at the sudden attention. "Why are you defending him? You're the one who just got kicked out of the house!"_

_Obito shrugged. "He always liked you best. I'm used to it. I was sure this would happen sooner or later. I actually thought it might happen sooner than this." Obito replied. "I've been looking at apartments since I was thirteen. Guess I'll be getting one of those."_

_He was sixteen now. The fight with his father had started over talk of Madara marrying Rin. Sure, they were young, but ninja died young all the time. So, why wait? And Rin made Madara a person who was much easier to be around. That was Madara's logic. And they had been together for a few years already. They both knew there was no one else for them._

_Their dad didn't approve. Not because of age, but because of Rin. He thought medical ninja were useful, but he didn't want either of his sons marrying one. They were to marry strong woman to have strong children to continue the Uchiha legacy of greatness._

_Madara and their father started arguing and getting angry. So, Obito decided the best way to make this fight go away was to change the topic. Something to switch the focus and make what Madara wanted seem not so bad in comparison._

_"I don't know, father. I think you should take what you can get. At least with Rin there could be grandkids. It will be a bit more complicated for me to have any, what with me being interested in men and all."_

_For a moment there had been absolute silence._

_"I beg your pardon?" His father said quietly._

_"Well, there are ways to have children, of course. Adoptions, surrogates, stuff like that. But with adoption there isn't any guarantee that they'd even have ninja parents at all. So, it kind of makes worrying about him having kids with a medical ninja seem stupid." Obito replied with a shrug._

_"Get your things and get out of my house." Their father said with a glare._

_"You can't just kick him out!" Madara exclaimed._

_"It's my house! I can do as I please! No son of mine will be taking it up the ass!" Their father shouted back at Madara. _

_"Everyone just calm down. I'll get my things and leave. It's not a problem." Obito said, trying to get the fighting to stop._

_Madara had followed him out of the house, and now they were at the training grounds._

_"Well, I'll leave too then." Madara told him._

_"Don't do that." Obito said, shaking his head. "You don't have to leave just because he kicked me out."_

_"I know that I don't have to. But if he's kicking you out, it's not like I have anything worth staying there for."_

_"Except financial support." Obito said flatly._

_"If you can manage without it, I certainly can." Madara argued._

_"I've been anticipating having to do that though, saving for it. You've been saving for a ring for Rin." Obito usually wasn't the reasonable one. He took up that role whenever Madara got angry like this though, because one of them had to rationalize. They'd end up starting a war or suggesting an allied shinobi force or something crazy like that if they didn't have at least one talking rationally._

_"I got the ring this morning actually." Madara said, sitting down next to Obito. Obito hoped that meant he was calming down._

_"There you go then." Obito waved his hand to dismiss the subject of Madara moving out._

_"I could stay with you until I save up enough to get a place with Rin."_

_"And enough for the wedding ring. And the wedding itself. And feeding yourselves after that." Obito listed._

_"Is that your way of saying you don't want to live with me?"_

_"No, it's my way of letting you know what you're getting yourself into." Obito corrected._

_"I can handle it." Madara told him, rolling his eyes at the insinuation that he couldn't._

_"Alright. Flatmates it is then."_

_They were quite for a few minutes as they both thought that through._

_"Hey, Obito, I've got a question for you." Madara said._

_"The answer is no." Obito said with a grin._

_"That won't even make sense when you hear the question." Madara informed him._

_"Not yes or no then? Damn, might have to think of a real answer. Alright, so what's the question?"_

_"Why didn't you tell me about the whole being gay thing?" Madara asked. He was looking at the ground in a way Obito knew meant he was hurt, but trying to act like he didn't care._

_"It never came up."_

_"Bullshit. All those times I tried to set you up with a girl you could have just said 'Oh, Madara, that won't work since I'm into guys'." Madara said, changing his voice for the part where Obito was supposed to talk, despite the fact that they had the same voice._

_"No way, man, it's got to be more dramatic than that. I'm coming out to you in this story you're conjuring." Obito protested._

_"Right, sorry. How's this?" He cleared his throat and stole Obito's goggles. "Madara, I must decline. For I –oh dear, how to say it- I much prefer having the sex with people of the same gender as myself. So, as nice as it is of you to try to medal in my love life, you're going about it all wrong." Madara declared dramatically._

_"Sounds about right." Obito told him while laughing and taking his goggles back. "You dind't have to take those to do that." He said as he put them back on._

_"Like you would come out to me without those things. I think you'd sleep with them on if you could. If I ever have to ID your body I'll just ask if the guy has hideous orange goggles."_

_"And they'll tell you that he doesn't, but he does have some pretty cool goggles." Obito replied. "Save them for me. Don't let them steal them off my slowly rotting body." He added in a dramatic whisper. _

_"I'd argue this with you, but you still haven't answered my question. Why didn't you tell me? Drama and goggles or not."_

_Obito bit his lip as he thought through the answer to that question. "If it makes you feel better, other than the guy I slept with a few months ago, you're the first to know. Well, you and dad."_

_"That's not an answer."_

_"Fair enough. I don't know. It wasn't like I thought you would have a problem with it or anything. And I'm not afraid to be out of the closest. I just never felt the urge to say anything about it until I figured it'd be a good way to get father to lighten up on you marrying Rin." He said, shrugging._

_"I have been wasting my time for two years trying to find girls for you." Madara told him._

_"I know. And I feel bad, but not bad enough to say sorry." Obito said with a grin._

_"Okay, but what about Rin? I know you told me you got over her, but weren't you in love with her?" Madara asked._

_"I think I wanted to be. Like you said, she's the ideal partner. She's nice, she's a good team mate, and she can tell us apart. If I loved her I wasn't gay, and I knew how father would feel about that. So, I convinced myself I was into her. It took a little while to figure that out, but I eventually did, which is when I told you that I was over her and gave you my full blessing to do whatever it is you two do that I wanted no details on, love or no love." Obito explained._

* * *

><p>Kakashi was hard to get a read on. He was friendly, and good enough of a traveling companion, but he still seemed kind of distant, and Obito caught him looking at him when he seemed to think Obito wouldn't notice.<p>

He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that, but since he was doing the same thing, he couldn't really complain. Doing the same thing was how he knew Kakashi was hiding something. Something from Obito specifically. Which had Obito a little suspicious.

He told himself he was just being paranoid, but it was still in the back of his mind. After all, was it really paranoia if you were right?

"So, Mikado, where are you from?" Kakashi asked conversationally.

"A town just a little ways from the Hidden Leaf Village. You might have heard of it since you're from the Leaf. It's called Midiam." Obito replied.

So, maybe it was a bad idea to call Kakashi out on being from the Leaf when he wasn't wearing his headband, but he was hoping to get an explanation.

"You knew that, did you? I guess my reputation precedes me. I should probably use a different name then." Kakashi replied.

"Any reason you don't want people knowing you're a Leaf ninja?"

"None that I can share, no." Kakashi told him, clearly aiming for the topic to be dropped. On a mission then. Maybe that could explain the sense that he was hiding something.

"So, why are you going to the Sand Village?" Kakashi asked in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

"My brother is living there, last I heard at least, and I'm paying him a surprise visit."

"Might have been better to let him know you were coming. That way he'd be prepared." Kakashi was giving him that same weird look from the bar, and Obito decided that he definitely didn't trust him. Charming and attractive didn't mean trustworthy after all.

"Oh, I would have. It's just that he and his wife are rather interesting about giving their address out. Wouldn't even give it to their own parents. They gave it to me, but I lost my copy, and I have no one to get it from, so I'm just going to find them by memory from when I helped them move." Obito explained, now giving Kakashi the calculating looks.

"Sounds strange."

"That's because they're strange people. They wanted a fresh start, and so they took their opportunity to get one." He said with a shrug.

Obito was considering what to do about this as he spoke. Kakashi was hiding something, and it may have nothing to do with Obito, but the risk was still there since Kakashi was a Leaf ninja. Staying with him could be potentially dangerous, but leaving out of nowhere after agreeing to travel with Kakashi, and having been doing that for a few hours would seem odd and invoke questions.

"Well, good for them. A lot of people looking for a fresh start don't get one."

"Aren't willing to take one, I think is the better wording. A lot of people have too many ties they don't want to cut, and thus they just stay where they are." Obito replied.

He'd been too attached to the Leaf to go with them, and now here he was, leaving because of one of them.

Things might have been easier if he had taken their offer to go with them, instead of playing the grief stricken messenger.

But there was no use focusing on that. All the would, should, and could haves in the world wouldn't change what had happened, and now he just had to deal and try his best to fix it.

"That's a depressing opinion. For the people leaving and the ones around them. The people looking for a new start can't really be close to anyone in this theory and the people being left aren't worth sticking around for."

"Sounds about right. If that weren't the case, why would they leave little to no connections left?"

"You must be fun at parties." Kakashi muttered.

"Oh, I am. I'm a happy drunk, so I'm fun to be around, and I'm usually trying to make people laugh and breaking out in bad dance moves." Obito told him with a laugh. "Maybe someday you'll get to see for yourself."

"Looking forward to it."

He could leave at night, Obito mused. Leave a note saying that he couldn't sleep, so he was going ahead on his own. It was a flimsy excuse, but Kakashi would hopefully be too asleep to find it for a few hours.

"What about you? What are you like at parties?" Obito asked him.

"Don't go to many. Not really my thing."

"I can see that." Obito decided. "Don't take that the wrong way. It's just that you'd have to take off the mask to do shots, and your face would get hot under it anyway with all the people." He added hastely, worried he might have offended Kakashi.

"I wasn't going to take it any kind of way, but thanks for clarifying."

And now Obioto felt awkward. "So, can you tell me why you're going to the sand village?" He asked.

"If I wasn't allowed to tell you that I'm from the Leaf, I don't think I can tell you what I'm doing for the Leaf."

"Probably not, but it was worth a shot." Obito replied.

"Not that I don't trust you. I'm just not allowed to trust you."

"I don't know a lot about ninja, but I get that it's dangerous, so I don't blame you for being cautious." Obito said, shrugging. "We do still hear about the death rates outside of the villages."

"There isn't much to know about them, really. They take missions and protect the villages they live in." Kakashi told him.

"I'm sure it's a bit more than that. I've seen people with headbands walking on water, spitting fire, or messing with people's minds."

"Ninjutsu and ginjutsu. Those are the things you're referring to. We teach those sorts of things to ninja so that they can better protect themselves and the village."

Obito nodded in interest, as if he didn't know these things already. "Sounds like a good system. They learn cool tricks, you get protection."

"Cool tricks? Not sure if that's how I would put it, but essentially, yeah, that's the system." Kakashi said, making a face at Obito's phrasing.

Obito laughed at the face. "Cool tricks: not correct terminology. Got it. Although, if ninja dislike it that much, I might have to keep saying it." Kakashi didn't look too thrilled with Obito's plan, but didn't tell him not to do it.

"Alright, so if people outside the village aren't training or taking missions, what do you do?"

This time it was Obito's turn to give Kakashi a look. "What do you think we do? Sit around all day? Someone has to handle taking care of you people. Farming, fishing, building, making those weapons and scrolls you're so fond of. It doesn't all come from nowhere." Obito told him. "And it's not coming from the villagers." He added.

"I know that. I was referring to your town specifically. Midiam. What are the primary jobs there? What do you do? When you aren't surprise visiting your brother?" Kakashi rephrased.

"We're mostly a manufacturing town. We make weapons for the Leaf village." Obito had been to a few towns outside of the Leaf, but he was pretty sure none of them were actually named Midiam. If there was, he had no idea what they did. He was bullshitting his way through this conversation, and just hoping that he wasn't going to be called on it. "I do the packaging for the weapons to be sent out to you guys." Madara used to tell him that for someone who liked to do the right thing more often than not, he had seriously good lying skills. He was hoping that was true.

It also looked like the sun was getting low, so they'd have to start getting camp set up soon. Obito was pretty sure he was going to stick to his plan of just leaving in the middle of the night with a note left behind. As much as he liked Kakashi, it wasn't safe to stay with him.

"Sounds like a kind of boring job."

"Anything would compared to being a ninja for a living." Obito countered.

"I guess. Do you want to set up camp soon?" Kakashi asked, apparently also noticing the sinking sun.

"Sure. As soon as we find a good spot." He replied.

They found a nice little clearing in the forest, and started setting up, while Obito considered how to best phrase the note that would explain his absence in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

_"Obito, I wanted to know if you'd be willing to help Rin and I with something." Madara said almost as soon as Obito walked into their shared apartment from the latest mission he'd been on._

_"Um, sure. Yeah, of course. Can it wait until I've had a shower though?" He asked, a little surprised by the questions. Madara didn't often ask for his help after all._

_"Go for it. It's not something you have to do right now. Or have to do at all. But it'd be really great if you did."_

_Marara wasn't one to nervously ramble, so this was kind of strange. "Alright, well now I'm curious. What is it you guys need?" H asked, leaning against their kitchen counter after getting a bottled water out of the fridge._

_"We want to leave the Leaf Village." Well, that certainly caught Obito's attention. "Father is trying to start trouble about Rin and I again, and talking about me becoming head of the clan. It would just make things easier if we left." Madara explained._

_"You guys are eighteen. He can't control you." Obito said._

_"In theory that's true, but it's stressing both of us out, and there is a rumor that they plan to have Rin killed so that I'll comply."_

_Obito's eyes widened at the information. Madara, despite having left with Obito, was a great choice for head of the clan. The closest anyone had come to being as powerful as him was Itachi, and Itachi was still rather young. But murder? Well, it was certainly an effective way to get one's point across. "So, why do you guys need me?" He inquired. _

_"Because if they're willing to hurt her, we have to make sure they think they can't. We want them to think that we're dead." Madara told him._

_"You want them to – you want help faking your own death? Don't you think that's over doing it a little?" Obito asked, sounding unsure as he spoke._

_"Probably, but better safe than sorry. I don't want to risk her getting hurt."_

_Obito still thought this was a bit much, but nodded any way. He wanted them safe and happy, and if this was how they wanted to go about it, he was willing to help out. "I'm still not sure what you need from me."_

_"To spread the word of our death. The three of us can go on a mission and you'll be the one to come back." Madara told him. "Also, if you could get ordained before this, Rin and I have discussed it and we would like you to be the one to marry us."_

_Obito smiled a bit at his brother. "I can do that last bit easy enough. It's going to be convincing people you're dead without bodies that will be the hard part." He was already thinking through how to work that out. Although, with how dangerous the ninja world was, people couldn't always bring bodies back. He was just worried that he wouldn't be convincing enough._

_"You're a good liar. You'll do just fine at convincing people that we died." Madara said, rolling his eyes at the mere notion that Obito wouldn't be able to do that._

_"Probably. So, when are we doing this?"_

_"The next mission outside of the Leaf." Madara replied, and already he looked more relaxed than he had in years, just knowing that he and Rin were getting out. That's what decided it for Obito. He was doing the right thing by helping them. Even if he would be saddening some people of the village by saying that Rin and Madara were dead. It was better than if something were to actually happen to them._

* * *

><p>The crescent moon was high up in the sky, surrounded by the stars up there with it as Obito got up to leave. He rolled up his sleeping bag and went to get his bag to put it away.<p>

He opened up the bag to get out his goggles before putting the sleeping bag away.

It wasn't hard to figure out that he had the wrong bag once he looked inside.

"Steve." He whispered as he saw the hound mask in Kakashi's bag.

"And I was so hoping you wouldn't see that." He heard from behind him, and now he knew why his voice had been familiar. He'd heard it from Steve, who was actually Kakashi, when he was trying to arrest him.

"We weren't going to the Sand Village, I'm guessing, but what was your plan when we got close enough to the Leaf with your little 'short cut'," He said the words like they were curses with a slight sneer. "for me to recognize where we were actually going?" He got to his feet as red took over his eyes, turning to face Kakashi.

"Cross that bridge when I got there. So, care to share with the class why you killed your family?"

They were both waiting for the other to make the first move.

"I didn't." He replied, slowly reaching for his bag. Actually his this time. He wasn't about to make that mistake again, even if he had been quite helpful to do so the first time.

As soon as his hand got near the bag a kunai was flying at him.

Obito jumped back to avoid the knife, grabbing a low tree branch while he was jumping. He used it to swing himself into a crouched position on the tree limb. As he felt the burn from scraping his palms on the bark he missed his fingerless gloves. But he didn't have time to be concerned with that.

"My brother. I told you about how he left, I just didn't mention that he did so by pretending to die." Obito said, trying to get Kakashi to believe him. He didn't want to fight him after all.

Kakashi didn't answer him. He simply started running at him. And this was certainly the lightning ninja he'd heard about if the electricity emitting from his hand was anything to go by.

"I can prove it!" Obito insisted as he lept out of the tree, over Kakashi, and landed behind him. "Please don't make me fight with you. Just listen to me." He said in a pleading tone.

Kakashi whirled around to face him, lightning still crackling in his hand, but he wasn't charging him at least.

"I know you have no reason to believe me. I'm the one who came back from that damn mission pronouncing my team mates dead. But think about this: if I were really willing to kill my entire family, wouldn't I have attacked you by now?"

Kakashi gave him a long calculating look, but eventually the lightning vanished. "You have one shot at giving me a reason to not drag you back to the Leaf right now." He said eventually, narrowed eyes watching Obito for any sign that he would make a run for it.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

_"You could come with us. They'll make their own assumptions when we don't show up." Rin offered as she hugged Obito._

_He gave her a sad smile. "You two are the most important people in my life, but I've got to go back to the Leaf Village. Not just because I'm supposed to tell them you two are dead, but I also have to stay to protect the people there." He told her, pressing a kiss to her tear streaked cheek._

_They were saying their goodbyes. Obito was free to visit any time he wanted, but they knew he wouldn't be able to often while keeping up the pretense that the two were dead. People would wonder why he kept going to the Sand Village._

_They'd all cried a little during this, even if Madara did try to hide it when he did. Obito could count on the fingers of one hand how many times he'd seen his brother cry, even adding this time._

_"You take care of yourself without me there to do it for you. I don't want to hear about you getting into any trouble." Madara told him as they hugged. _

_"I'll tell everyone to make sure my dead brother hears nothing of the things I do, don't worry." He teased._

_They were all reluctant to part ways, but eventually Obito was headed back to the village._

_He walked to the hokage's office to do a mission report, head hung low the entire way there. A few people asked him what was wrong, but he didn't stop to answer them, just kept walking. _

_"Obito, what's wrong?" Minato asked as soon as Obito entered the office of his former teacher. "What happened?" Even without the way Obito was carrying himself, he was never the one to give mission reports if he went with a group because he couldn't be bothered to be on time while his teammates got it done as soon as possible, and it would be a few hours after getting back if he were by himself before he got around to doing it._

_"We were on our way home. They- they came out of no where." Tears started descending down his face. "I- I couldn't –there was nothing I could do!" He choked out, scrubbing at his eyes with the palms of his hands. It had no effect since new tears replaced the ones he wiped away. _

_"Obito, slow down. What happened? What couldn't you do anything about?"_

_"We were attacked by mercenaries on our way back. They - they killed Rin and Madara." He let a sob slip through after those words. "They got Rin first, and then Madara while he was trying to put pressure on the wounds. I was able to get them to leave with a shadow clone, there were too many for me to fight alone, and I had to try to help Rin and Madara. I didn't want to let them go, but I had to try and save them. I just had to. I-I could do it though!" Another sob ripped through his throat. "Rin is -was- the only one who knew medical ninjutsu. I couldn't stop the bleeding. There was so much b-blood. And now they're gone because I couldn't save them!" That was when Minato hugged him, trying to assure him that it wasn't his fault while Obito cried on his shoulder._

_It didn't take long for word of Rin and Madara's death to spread after that, and people were constantly telling Obito that they were sorry for his loss and bringing him food. He didn't have to cook anything for over a week._

_He felt bad for lying to everyone, especially the people who had known Madara and Rin. But he'd agreed to what they wanted, so he kept his lips sealed. And no one ever questioned that the two might actually be alive. Everyone just took Obito at his word. It was an interesting feeling, knowing that one could convince hundreds of people of something untrue, but Obito really only dwelled on the feeling in less than sober states. _

* * *

><p>Obito started his explanation from when he got home a few years ago to his brother talking about wanting to leave with Rin because of her being in danger. He stopped at telling Minato about their "death".<p>

"So, you're going to tell me that you have an ability to lie like that, and then expect me to believe you telling me a story this ridiculous?" Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. It's not a skill I'm proud of, or like to use very often, but why would I tell you about it if I were going to use it on you? I would tell you I'm a terrible liar. That people only believed me because they mistook my being upset over them leaving as being upset over them dying. That way you might think you had the upper hand on knowing if I'm telling the truth or not." Obito explained.

Kakashi was still giving him that calculating look and Obito couldn't tell if he believed him or not.

"You can come with me to find Madara. That way, if I'm lying, you can take me back to the Leaf Village knowing that you're taking the right person. That's my proof. You'll see him." Obito suggested.

There was a moment of silence. "When we get to the sand village, you have one day to find him, and then we go back."

Obito nodded in agreement, shoulders losing some of their tension.

"Now that that's settled, go back to bed. I don't need you slowing us down tomorrow just because you're tired." Kakashi ordered.

"So bossy." Obito muttered, but complied anyway. He unrolled his sleeping bag and got back in.

Obito didn't really think he'd have a very easy time sleeping, and he was right, but when he finally did sleep it was nightmares again.

"Do you even know how many Uchihas there are, Obito? I lost count after the first five dozen." Madara was telling him as he buried him alive. Or maybe he was supposed to be dead. He couldn't feel anything and he couldn't close his eyes to block out the image of Madara dropping dirt on him while he was six feet under. "One more Uchiha off the list. Now it's just two left."

Yet again, Obito woke up screaming. Kakashi was on his feet instantly, looking around for a danger that wasn't there.

"Just- just a nightmare." Obito gasped out between deep gulps of air to let Kakashi know he didn't have to fight anything.

Kakashi looked concerned for all of a second, but it was gone as quick as it appeared. "Then pull yourself together and let's get going."

"You should go into psychology. You sure do know how to make someone feel better." Obito said sarcastically, catching the apple Kakashi threw at him.

Kakashi was already dressed, and Obito didn't worry about him looking as he started changing into his own clothes. Although, he could feel Kakashi's eyes on him.

"So, I'm thinking it will be better to go to the Sand Village on the main roads since there's no way in hell I'd trust you to actually take me there, and you probably don't trust me either." Obito said as he adjusted his goggles.

"And what's your plan if someone on one of the main roads recognizes you? Lie your way out of it?" Kakashi asked. Obito noticed that Kakashi didn't have reservations about wearing his Leaf Village headband now that they knew each other's identities.

"Context." Obito replied with a shrug, taking a bite of the apple.

"Context?" Kakashi inquired, giving him a questioning look.

"Yes. No one expects to see a mass murderer walking the streets alongside a ninja from the same village that he's wanted in. It's like seeing a teacher outside of school in civilian clothing. It takes longer to recognize them since you're used to seeing them in a school and that's where you expect to see them." Obito explained.

"So, you're grand plan is to hope people will rationalize their way out of recognizing you?" Kakashi sounded unimpressed.

"Did you recognize me when you first saw me, before following me into that bar?" Obito asked.

"Not immediately, but those stupid goggles gave you away."

"And you were looking for me. So, someone not looking for me definitely wouldn't notic. And excuse you. These goggles are awesome."

"So awesome that any picture of you has you wearing them." Kakashi deadpanned.

"You're not making me get rid of them. Give it up." Obito replied, starting to make his way towards the main road. "Plenty of people before you have tried. Madara, my father, Rin, Asuma, Anko, Shisui, Itatchi, Sasuke, Minato, and Kurenai. That and some strangers. I'll add Steve/Paco/Kakashi to that list. I think Naruto is the only one who actually likes them." Obito said absentmindedly.

"What did you just call me?" Kakashi asked, looking a a bit taken aback by the string of names attached to his own.

"Huh?" Obito turned his head to look at Kakashi. "Oh! Right! I said that out loud didn't I?"

Kakashi gave him an expectant look. "Well, care to share with the class?"

Obito considered that. "No, I don't think I do care to share with the class." He decided. "Actually, I think I'm just going to occasionally bring it up so that the class can ponder over its meaning with no answer." Obito said with a grin.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. I'm supposed to randomly respond to names that have no correlation with my own." He said, pulling out a book and starting to read as they walked, a clear sign that he was done with the conversation.

"Pervert." Obito said, pulling a face when he glanced at the over at Kakashi's choice in "literature". If one could call it that.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

_Obito got a letter in the mail from the Sand Village. It had been two years since Madara and Rin's "death". He'd managed to visit them a total of five times since, and this was the third letter he'd received. _

_It took about a week and a half for him to realize he had mail to read. Without someone living in the apartment with him it was too quiet for his taste, and he found himself drifting around more than spending time in his own apartment._

_People seemed to attribute this to not wanting to live in the last place his dead brother lived, and he let them think that._

_He didn't get letters from Madara or Rin very often, but when he did it usually meant big news, so he quickly went inside to read it._

**Dear Obito,**

**No changes in address, or worries of recognition this time. For once, I'm writing you with good news. Wonderful news, actually. Rin is pregnant! I waited to write you until we saw a medical ninja for more information, even though Rin wanted to write to you as soon as the test came out positive. I think she actually thought about telling you before me, honestly. I only know she didn't because I haven't heard from or seen you about the subject yet.**

**We went to the medic again yesterday, and the test was correct. We're going to be having a baby girl! You're going to be an uncle. I'm hoping you'll be able to visit soon to see us.**

**Obito! Isn't it the most wonderful news you've ever heard? This is Rin, if you couldn't tell by the hand writing. I had to wrestle the letter away from Madara. Selfish bastard's trying to keep you all to himself.**

**I can't believe that I'm going to have a baby. I've always wanted one, but I never thought it would happen so soon. I think we're ready though. Madara's going to be a great father, you'll be a lovely uncle, and I'll try my best to be a good mother. I think I can do it.**

**Hoping to see you soon! –Rin ****and Madara!**

* * *

><p>"So, why don't you tell me more about this?" Kakashi suggested. "Why would you're brother kill your family?"<p>

"No clue. I'm hoping to find that out when I find him. If this had happened a few years ago I'd think it was because of the threat against Rin. It makes no sense now. He's got Rin, and they have a baby coming. Coming very soon, actually. She should be born in just a few weeks. I was going to try to find some way to get to them in time for her due date." Obito told him.

"Maybe something happened to Rin or the baby and that's what set him off."

Obito stopped dead in his tracks at Kakashi's spoken thought, causing the other man to have to backtrack a few steps.

"No. Couldn't be. Nothing happened to her." Obito said, although it sounded more as though he was reassuring himself of that than telling Kakashi.

"Only way to find out is to find him." Kakashi pointed out to try and get Obito moving again.

"Why would something have happened to Rin? Why would you think that?" Obito demanded instead of moving. He hadn't even allowed such a thought to go through his mind when he was trying to figure out what could have happened, but now he couldn't make the thought leave.

"Because you said there were threats made. If the Uchihas found out they weren't dead, they could have killed her, and that could have set Madara off. He would have let you live because he would know how much you care about her, and thus that you had nothing to do with it." Kakashi reasoned, looking like he wished he hadn't said anything. "But you know him better than I do. You'd know more than me if that sounds like something that could have happened."

Obito would have liked to say it didn't, but he knew how Madera got when it came to Rin. There had been one time a guy had called her a bitch and she'd had to convince him not to start something over it.

And then there was the time someone thought it was okay to touch her inappropriately. They'd been in the hospital for quite a while when Madara found out.

So yes, to a degree that seemed logical, but Obito still didn't like the idea of it.

Honestly, some part of him was hoping there would be an explanation that didn't involve Madara killing the Uchihas, despite logic telling him what had happened.

So, he wasn't thrilled with the idea of something happening to Rin and the baby.

"Do you believe me? About me not having done it?" He asked to change the subject as he continued walking.

Kakashi seemed to consider his answer. "I think if you were really willing to kill an entire clan, you would have at least tried to fight off the ninja coming after you. I think that you don't seem like a killer. And I think I would have dragged you back to the Leaf Village if I thought you had actually killed the other Uchihas. So, let's hope you find your brother so that I don't have to have been wrong about you."

"I know him. It won't be hard to find him." Obito assured him. He already had a few good ideas of where to look when they got to the Sand Village.

"But he knows you too. Which means it won't be hard for him to avoid you." Kakashi pointed out.

"We'll see. He's never been very good at doing that." Obito replied.

When they were younger Madara's way of letting Obito know he was mad at him was to avoid him. It was usually up to Obito to find him and try to resolve things. So, he knew Madara's pattern in avoiding people.

"If you're sure. I just don't want this to be a waste of my time."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure your time is super valuable." Obito rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"You'd heard of me without me committing mass murder, so I must be doing something worthwhile with my time." Kakashi countered.

"Must have been, I think you mean. All past accomplishments. That lightning trick is pretty cool, but you seem to have blown right off the map afterwards." Obito said, shrugging.

"Do you understand how being an Ambu works?"

"Calm down, Steve. No one's saying anything about your Bond like career." Obito waved him off.

"You kind of are."

"Ah, but you can't argue it without admitting you are an Ambu." Obito told him with a grin.

"You already know I am." Kakashi argued, frowning at him.

"Yeah, but we're on a very public road."

"I would notice someone coming."

"Let's hope so."

It wasn't a solid argument by any means, but it worked. Kakashi stopped trying to validate his job to Obito, and Obito stopped teasing him about the subject.

"So, if you don't think I did it, what's with the time restriction when we get there?" Obito asked when the silence started to bother him and he got tired of Kakashi reading his porn book.

"If I take too long getting you back people will think you killed me and come searching. If we don't find him soon, I'll try and get some leeway in continuing the search after we get back."

It was good to know Kakashi believed him enough to plan on continuing their search, but Obito didn't really plan on going back without Madara. He didn't want to put Minato in that kind of position. As his former teacher, the Hokage would look like he was letting personal bias interfere with the job if he sent ninja looking for someone who was accepted as dead years ago. Also a former student.

No, if they didn't find Madara the first day there, and Obito was sure they would, he would have to leave Kakashi somehow, and go looking by himself as he had planned to do in the first place.

He wasn't about to mention that though.

"It's a reasonable enough plan. It just doesn't leave a lot of time."

"You seem confident enough in your ability to find him that I'm hoping the amount of time won't be much of a problem."

"Let's hope you aren't over estimating me."

Obito spotted a small town alongside the road, and after looking at the sky for an idea of the time, decided that was probably as good a place to stop for the night as any.

"Do you want to go there? We can find something to eat and a place to sleep." Obito suggested.

Kakashi shrugged in reply and Obito took that as a yes.

They ended up finding a place to eat after checking out a room at the local inn. Just one room because apparently, while Kakashi didn't think he had killed anyone, he didn't trust him to not run off and try to find Madara by himself. Obito could only argue that logic so much. It wasn't like he minded sharing a room with Kakashi anyway. When he told Kakashi as much Kakashi told him that Obito had an arguing problem. Probably a truthful observation.

The mean went by pleasantly enough. Obito did most of the talking, but Kakashi was actually paying attention since he answered most of the things Obito said.

Obito still didn't get to see his face. Any time Obito glanced at the rowdy crowd on the other side of the room Kakashi managed to eat something without Obito seeing him. Obito was starting to get a little worried about what was hiding under there. He stood by his promise to see Kakashi's face eventually. He was going to damn well do it.

Things did get a little interesting after eating, however.

Obito was headed towards the restrooms. He figured he'd give Kakashi the chance to actually eat something, instead of just sneaking in bites of food when Obito wasn't looking.

He didn't quite make his destination though. An arm snagged him around the waist, pulling him closer to one of the men in the noisy group. Handsome, but obviously drunk.

"You're not half bad looking." The man said, looking Obito, who had easily moved out of his grasp, up and down.

"Quite the compliment. Does that usually work for you? If so, you might consider the self-esteem levels of your victims." Obito told him conversationally, leaning against the bar.

"Victim is such a harsh word, sweetheart." Obito was calling the man Tristan in his mind. Tristan said this with a grin, leaning forward in his seat towards Obito.

Obito smirked at him. "I don't know if I'd call myself sweet, but you can call me Mikado."

"Is now a good time to start calling you that or would you rather I tried it out in bed?"

"No thanks. I like my conversations to be with people sober enough to remember what was said." Obito said with a shrug.

"Like your boyfriend, giving us the evil eye, over there?" Tristan asked, glancing at Kakashi, who was indeed glaring at them. Interesting.

""Not my boyfriend. We're just traveling together." Obito returned his attention to Tristan, but could practically feel Kakashi's glare now that he knew it was there.

"If you're not with him, how do you feel about joining me tonight? I've got a room at the inn down the street." Tristan said, giving Obito a toothy grin.

"Sorry, got a policy about sleeping with people who are totally wasted. It says not to do it." Never seemed quite right if they were too intoxicated to think through if they would regret it latter.

"You sure? I sober up pretty quickly. And if it's performance you're worried about with the drinking thing, I can guarantee alcohol doesn't affect that." Tristan said, winking.

By this time Kakashi had walked over.

"I think it's time for us to leave." He said coldly.

"I'm having a conversation." Obito protested. He didn't particularly care for said conversation, it was sort of amusing, but he wasn't invested past that. He just didn't much like Kakashi telling him what to do. And it was kind of rude to tell him to leave when he was talking to someone.

"I can see that." Kakashi gave Tristan a disdainful look. "And I'm saying it's time to leave."

"Well, you can. I'll meet you latter. I was actually just getting an invitation to a different room." Obito informed him loftily. At least Tristan didn't mention that Obito had rejected that offer.

"You're not taking it." A tone that could freeze oceans.

"You're not in charge of me." Obito shot back.

"Seeing as we aren't headed towards the Leaf Village right now, I'd say I am."

Obito let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, yes, forgive me for not realizing that using my plan to go to the Sand puts you in charge. An easy mistake to make."

"Listen, buddy, if he doesn't want to go with you, he doesn't have to." Tristan interjected to Kakashi.

Obito grinned at that. "See, he gets it."

"I get it." Tristan reiterated.

"How do you think people here are going to react to hearing your name?" Kakashi whispered to Obito, who tensed up immediately.

"Before or after I punch you in the face for being a manipulative bastard?" Obito asked him, but complied anyway.

He waved goodbye to Tristan before walking out with Kakashi in silence.

"If I didn't know better, I'd call what you just did jealousy." Obito commented when they got to the room. Maybe he really did have and arguing problem.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Five weeks after receiving the letter Obito managed to get a mission near the Sand Village._

_The mission was the first priority, of course, but he managed to finish that in record time so that he could visit Rin and Madara. He figured he could stay with them at least one night, maybe two if he ran the majority of the way home._

_He easily found his way to their small house and knocked on the door._

_"Obito!" Rin exclaimed happily when she opened the door. "Madara! Obito's here!" She called into the house before pulling Obito into a tight hug that was angled a bit odd because of her stomach's new size._

_"Good to see you too." Obito said cheerfully, hugging her back. "You know, if things aren't working with you and my brother, we could run away together. I'd be a great dad." He added with a teasing tone, pulling back enough to wink at her._

_"Stop trying to steal my wife, Obito. You don't see me trying to take men away from you." Madara said good naturedly, having come up behind Rin at some point during the hug, while Rin laughed._

_"Just men as a whole? All of them? That would be a little hard to do. But I think I could do it better than you. I'll have you know I was the favorite in the village even before you guys left, so clearly I'm the best candidate to get all of the men." Obito declared, pulling Madara into the hug as well._

_"Only because you look like me." Madara countered._

_"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Obito said dismissively, letting go of them to step back and take a look. "Besides, I'm sure all of the men want to be enjoyed, and of the two of us, I think I'm more wired for that." _

_Madara still looked like him, so no change there, but Rin had a big bulge where her stomach used to be flat._

_"You sure you don't want to raise that baby with me? With your good looks and mine you'll need someone who can actually fight to protect her from all the people who will be falling over themselves just to catch a glimpse of her." Obito told her._

_"My good looks, you mean." Madara corrected._

_"You only look good because you look like me." Obito informed him._

_"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Madara mocked._

_"Look who's developed a sense of humor!" Obito said with over dramatic shock, raising his hand to clutch his heart for more effect. "So, are you two going to let me in, or are we all just going to stand in your doorway. Not that doorway parties aren't cool or anything." He added, adopting a more casual tone. _

_They all went inside and found places to sit in the living room. Obito took a chair while Madara and Rin shared a couch. _

_"So, how long can you stay?" Madara asked once they were settled in._

_"One or two nights."_

_"Two." Rin said immediately._

_Obito laughed, but nodded. "Two it is."_

_"Why was that even a question?" Madara asked with amusement._

_"I don't know. You two could have been busy." Obito shrugged._

_"Never too busy for you." Madara told him, rolling his eyes fondly at his brother._

* * *

><p>"Jealous? Of you?" Kakashi scoffed at the notion.<p>

"Not of me. Of the guy I was talking to." Obito corrected.

"Oh, I'm sure." Kakashi said sarcastically, giving Obito an eye role full of contempt.

"It's understandable. You heard me talking about going to bed with him. But getting jealous of that implies that you like me." Obito said, smirking.

"Or, I didn't need you disappearing with a possible accomplice." Kakashi countered.

The logic didn't throw Obito for even a moment. "That I contacted when? You've hardly let me out of your sight. Even putting that aside, accomplice in what? You said you believed that I didn't do anything."

"Just because you didn't kill anyone, doesn't mean you aren't planning on running off. For all I know, while I'm left here thinking that you're fucking some guy you just met, you could be getting as far away from me as you can to go find your brother by yourself."

"Sounds too complicated." Obito said loftily, waving the idea off with an unimpressed look. "Especially since I turned down his offer to go to bed with him." Obito crossed his arms over his chest. "Which you might have known if you hadn't barged over there like a jealous boyfriend demanding we leave."

That seemed to at least give Kakashi some pause. "You weren't going to go with him." It came out more like a statement than a question, which was odd since Kakashi had a questioning look on the half of his face that Obito could see.

"He opened up with a comment about how I don't look half bad after grabbing me on my way past him while he was also wasted. No, I was not going to sleep with him. If you're going to eaves drop, do it right."

"You certainly acted like you were planning on going with him when I came over. And I was not acting like a jealous boyfriend." The last part was added like an after thought.

"Sure you weren't." Obito said, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"Would you just drop it and shut up?" Kakashi sounded rather irritated as he asked.

"Make me." Obito challenged.

And it seemed that Kakashi intended to do just that.

With a few quick steps Kakashi was in front of him, cupping Obito's face between his hands and pressing their lips together, the mask having come off somewhere in that process. And Kakashi did have a perfectly normal, handsome but still normal, face under it. Obito really didn't understand the big deal with the mask.

Obito smiled against Kakashi's mouth before he started kissing back, parting his lips slightly and wrapping his arms around Kakashi's shoulders.

"Oh, you better hope I'm not actually a serial killer." Obito said with a small laugh after Kakashi pulled his mouth away with a nip to Obito's bottom lip.

"You talk too much." Kakashi remarked as he trailed his lips along Obito's jawline and down to his neck, Obito tilting his head to give him better access.

"A personality trait I'm afraid you'll just have to deal with." He replied, pulling away from Kakashi and moving towards the bed.

"I'll see what I can do about that." Kakashi said, following after him with a grin.

Obito decided he didn't mind being shut up.


	8. Chapter 8

_"An Uchiha being in the Sand Village does not mean that anyone knows you're here. I'm in the village after all." Obito reasoned as he walked to the grocery store with Madara. Apparently Rin was craving cheese and marshmallows. Obito found the prospect of the combination disgusting. Madara hadn't even batted an eye, apparently used to the weird pregnancy cravings._

_He was currently telling Obito about having seen one of the Uchihas in the village a few days ago and expressing his concern. He hadn't shared this with Rin because he was worried about stressing her out, and now Obito was trying to keep him from stressing out over it._

_"And you do know that I'm here." Madara pointed out._

_"True, but I was in the Sand Village for a mission anyway, not just visiting. That's probably what they were doing as well. It is part of our job, as I'm sure you recall. You got here because of a mission to the Sand Village too."_

_"If I saw them, they may have seen me." Madara protested._

_"Were they looking at you?" Obito asked, raising an eyebrow._

_"Not that I could see, but that doesn't mean that they didn't see me. You'd be out of your job if you couldn't observe people without them knowing, so they might have been doing that." Madara said, which was a valid point, but Obito still wasn't sure it was as big of a deal as Madara seemed to think._

_"Even if they did see you, they probably would just assume that you're me." Obito told him. "After all, who looks at someone and thinks 'that's definitely that dead guy'? Especially when there is someone who looks exactly like them still walking."_

_"I guess." Madara said, but he didn't sound convinced._

_"Look, if you're really worried about it: leave. Take Rin and go somewhere else. You guys have moved before." Obito said, because he didn't want Madara having this worry weighing him down, just waiting for someone to show up trying to get revenge._

_"No, you're probably right. I'm just making a big deal out of nothing. I'll keep an eye out for any activity, but we can't just run away every time things get even a little worrying." Madara decided after a moment of thought._

_They let the subject drop, slipping into regular conversation. Mostly more catching up since they hardly got to see each other. The topic slipping both of their minds as they both reasoned it away._

* * *

><p>"So, I think I've got an idea." Obito said as he and Kakashi got close to the Sand Village, walking closer to each other than they had been the day before.<p>

"Tell me quick, before it gets away." Kakashi replied.

"You're expecting me to try and run off by myself to find him, right?" Kakashi nodded in confirmation, looking ready to grab Obito if he decided to make said escape at that moment. "Well, what if we did separate? Maybe he'll be willing to come out of hiding and talk to me, but you'll be tracking me by chakra so that you won't be far behind." He suggested.

Kakashi looked like he was actually taking the idea into consideration, which was more than Obito had really expected.

"Alright. Try to be careful since I won't be right there to help you out if you find him and he tries something."

Obito was more banking on the idea of Madara being the one to find him if he was alone. Or at least appeared to be.

He wanted to say that Madara wouldn't try anything, but a week ago he would have said Madara wouldn't kill the Uchiha clan. He had no way to know what Madara would and wouldn't do. "I'll be careful." Obito promised.

Not careful enough. He was wandering through the only foresty part of the Sand Village. Madara always said the forest was the worst hiding place because that's where everyone looked first. Which made it the best place for him to hide since no one would look for him there.

Which seemed to be a good line of thought since he ended up with Madara standing in front of him about three hours into his wandering. So, he'd been right about Madara finding him.

He was also dressed like Obito: A simple blue shirt, black pants, and orange goggles. Meaning he'd known Obito was here and probably Kakashi too. It was a good plan. The logic that Kakashi wouldn't know which one to arrest.

"So, who's the guy following you like a puppy?" Madara asked, watching Obito for a reaction.

He looked the same as when Obito had last seen him, besides the clothing, not like a serial killer.

"You like him." Madara said with a smirk. Still able to read Obito like a book then. Just the mention of Kakashi and he could figure that out.

"You want to talk about my love life after you killed our entire family?" Obito said, sounding repulsed at the situation.

"Not the entire family. You're here right now. Itachi and Sasuke are alive. They got there late. I figured I could take Itachi if his attention was divided between everyone needing help, but he and Sasuke were out late, so with him only having to protect his little brother, and after I had used so much chakra to kill the others, he was too much of a risk to fight. Shame he saw me though. I wasn't planning on you getting in trouble." Madara said flippantly, as if they were discussing the weather instead of genocide.

"You killed people! Do you not understand that?" Obito exclaimed.

"I understand it perfectly well." He looked almost board.

"Good. Then explain it to me, because I don't. Why the hell would you do that?" Obito asked.

"You're not as stupid as the goggles lead people to believe. Think about it. What was I worried about when you were last here?"

A sense of dread filled him as he remembered dismissing Madara's worries. "Madara, where is Rin?" He asked slowly.

There was a glint of something dark in Madara's eyes as he answered that. "Dead. The Uchihas don't take well to having their plans thrown off. They're pretty good for revenge. They killed her. And true to Uchiha way, I avenged her. They can't kill anyone else or spread their killing ways to others now." He said, sounding triumphant, a touch of something unstable in his voice as well.

Obito had so badly hoped that Rin hadn't been involved. That she and the baby were safe. The news of her death was devastating, but he couldn't break down now. He'd have to compartmentalize.

He quickly wiped his eyes, and for once Madara didn't mock him for tearing up.

"Either way, I've got to bring you back to the Leaf Village, and they don't care if you come back dead or alive." Obito said, pulling himself together and standing up straight, shaking fists and sad eyes the only indication that he was barely holding himself together.

"You won't kill me." Madara said with certainly.

"No, but Kakashi might if you don't come quietly. Don't make me lose you too." Obito all but pleaded.

"I don't think Kakashi would kill me either. Because he won't know which of us to kill." Madara said, smirking. "Speaking of . . ."

Madara tilted his head, as if listening for something. "Kakashi! I found him! Hurry!" Madara suddenly yelled just as Kakashi arrived on the scene.

"He's lying. Kakashi, that's Madara." Obito said.

"Ask me anything. I'll prove I'm Obito. The real one." Madara said. He knew Obito better than just about anyone. He could definitely form believable answers to anything Kakashi asked.

Kakashi was looking between them for any discernible features. Obito knew he wasn't finding any.

"Explain the Steve and Paco thing." He decided on, probably hoping one of them would look confused.

"Can't. Trade secret." Madara said while Obito said, "You don't even have an explanation for that. I could easily lie."

Naming things when he didn't know what to call them was a habit Obito'd had for years, and so of course Madara knew about it.

"What happened last night?" Kakashi asked.

"Sure, just talk about that in front of my brother then." Madara replied sarcastically.

"Oh fuck you." Obito said, rolling his eyes. What kind of question was that?

"He did." Madara told him, smirk gracing his features.

Kakashi seemed to think through what to say next. "Kiss me," were not the words Obito had been expecting.

"Okay." Madara agreed without hesitation. He was probably assuming Kakashi was hoping to be familiar enough with kissing Obito that he would be able to tell the difference. Madara might think simply going for it would be good enough, and that Kakashi would think Madara wouldn't do it since he was supposed to be straight.

"You've got to be kidding me right now. This is not the time to fulfill some kind of weird twin fantasy you have. You actually will be kissing a serial killer this time because I want no part in this." Obito said, giving Kakashi an annoyed look.

"That one's the real one." Kakashi decided, before Madara could kiss him, pointing at Obito. "Being his usual pain in the ass self, arguing instead of complying."

"You sure about that?" Madara asked, arching an eyebrow at Kakashi. "Sure enough to risk it?"

"Sure enough to take you back to the Leaf Village." And that was how the fighting started.

As soon as Kakashi had lightning in his hand Obito and Madara had their sharingans ready.

Kakashi went straight for Madara, but Obito was watching. He wanted to get an idea of Madara's improvement instead of just going straight in against a guy who could kill an entire clan.

Madara jumped up over Kakashi to avoid the attack, which is when Kakashi revealed he had a shadow clone that was jumping from a tree branch to get Madara from behind with the lightning blade.

Madara grabbed onto a tree branch, using it to swing himself out of the way and hit the clone in the face with his foot, effectively getting rid of it, before letting go of the branch and sending a fire ball Kakashi's way.

As Kakashi dodged Madara took the distraction to call down to Obito. "You're not going to join us? Afraid that you still won't measure up?"

Obito didn't look impressed with the taunt. "Not at all. In fact, I have no problem joining in if you want." He replied, knowing it wouldn't matter if he had a problem or not. As soon as Madara spoke to him he knew his observation time was over. Madara only gave someone the time of day when fighting if he was planning on fighting them.

"Obito –" Kakashi started, but Madara was already moving.

And then moved right into the tree behind Obito.

"What the hell?" He heard Madara mumble, picking himself back up and looking at Obito as if he were seeing him differently all of a sudden. "What did you do?" He asked.

"Trade secret." Obito replied.

The fireball that was aimed at him went right through him, and he showed no damage taken for it.

"You're right. I can't kill you. But, I can trap you." Obito told him, face grim as Madara seemed to disappear into a spinning spiral.

"Obito. What was that?" Kakashi asked.

"I wanted to be better at something. I picked the sharingan." Obito replied before his legs gave out on him.

"Obito!" Kakashi was by his side in an instant, wrapping his arms around Obito to keep him from face planting into the ground.

"I'm fine. It's just that I've never tried to do both one after another, and never on a person. It takes up a lot of chakra, and I only recently started getting good at it." Obito explained.

"Where did Madara even go?" Kakashi asked.

"Different dimension. It's complicated and I'm about to pass out. I'll explain it to you latter."

And it really didn't take long for him to go unconscious.

Obito woke up in a Leaf Village Hospital with Kakashi in the room.

"Oh thank God. Please tell me you can get Madara back, because everyone thinks I was just under ginjutsue."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"You know, you don't have to do this. You don't owe him anything." Kakashi told him as he walked Obito to the door of his apartment that Obito had spent the night in.

"I know I don't. He is still my brother though, and for the last time, yes I'm sure that I want to go by myself." Obito said as he put on his blue jacket, Uchiha crest included now that he didn't have to hide who he was.

It had been about a week since Kakashi had brought Obito back to the leaf village, and they had proven that Madara was, in fact, alive. Today was the first day the prison was allowing visitors.

"I know, I know. You want to talk to him by yourself." Kakashi said, rolling his eyes. "Your place or mine tonight?"

"Yours, I think. It's closer to the training grounds." Obito replied. He gave Kakashi a quick peck on the cheek before he left.

The guard that he was calling Vashti in his head was reading manga, and wasn't that close to the cell Madara was in, so Obito figured he had at least a little privacy to talk with his brother.

"I was wondering if you'd show up or not. Your boyfriend already lectured me about what I put you through, so you don't need to if that's what you're here for." Madara said when he spotted Obito walking over to his cell.

"Wasn't planning on it. How'd he manage to do that when visitors weren't allowed?"

"The same way Sasuke and Itachi, separately, were able to come into try to kill me. Sneaking in."

They sat down across from each other with the bars of the cell between them. Obito couldn't see it with Madara's sleeves in the way, but he knew his brother had a tattoo sealing his chakra, so he wasn't particularly dangerous at the moment.

"So, no one's answered me on just what the hell it is that you did to me. I'm hoping you'll be able to explain that." Madara said after a little bit of silence.

"Apparently something the sharingan can do. I discovered it in the hidden mist village when some guy was trying to kill me. I'd been working with the sharingan a lot, but I hadn't really expected that. We were all a bit confused about where his weapons went at the time. I've been working on it for about three months. I wasn't sure it would actually work on a person." Obito replied.

"Okay, but what was it?"

"Some kind of dementional jump." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

It got quite again as Madara seemed to think that over. "You know, getting you in trouble was never part of the plan." Madara said to break the silence stretching between them.

"There was a plan? I thought you were just killing Uchihas."

"Yeah, that was the plan. Kill every Uchiha, present company excluded, and go back home. Maybe move on, maybe die and be with Rin and our baby. I don't know which. It went wrong though because Itachi and Sasuke saw me. I knew what they'd think, and I went to warn you, but you weren't home. I had to leave, and I figured if they didn't catch you you'd go looking for me. I'm still not sure how you got someone to go along for the ride with you though." Madara explained.

He looked exhausted, and it hit Obito that Madara was probably sleeping about as much as he himself was. Obito was still constantly waking up to nightmares about his family and Rin. He imagined Madara was suffering a similar fate with nightmares about Rin's death.

"Why did you kill all of them? Some of those people were children. Kids who couldn't have hurt Rin if they had wanted to." That had been bothering him a lot as he tried to figure out what had gone through his brother's head.

"The psychologist are calling it temporary insanity caused by the trauma of Rin dying." He waved his hand dismissively at the notion. "Can't say I really disagree. The logic behind that was flimsy at best. No witnesses and if every single Uchiha were dead they couldn't pass down the values of kill to get your way."

"You weren't planning to kill me, you said. So, what happened there?"

Madara looked at him like he thought Obito had suffered a head injury before sighing and explaining that. "I know that you're not like them. You couldn't even kill me after I'd killed the entire clan. The point was to wipe out that line of thought. Killing you would have been pointless." He said with a roll of his eyes.

It got quite after that again. They'd never had so much trouble talking to each other before. Then again, they'd never had these circumstances either.

"You know, if I had done the exact same thing to another clan in a village we weren't friendly with, the Mist for example, I'd be a hero. I do it here and I'm a murderous psychopath." Madara remarked.

"You sound like me." Obito reminded him.

"No I don't. If I sounded like you I would have said 'I'm a fucking murderous psychopath.' You curse more than me." Madara corrected.

"Still sounds like me."

They used to have debates like that when one of them slipped into the speech patterns of the other. It happened a lot because of the pretending to be each other thing they used to do.

"You have a point though. However, in this instance you're killing your own people. Hell, your own family, which people see as even worse. In your hypothetical situation you're helping lession the numbers of an enemy. There is a difference." Obito told him.

"And now you sound like me."

"One of us has to rationalize things. Clearly you weren't when all of this happened."

Silence again. Obito didn't like it.

"At least now any resentment people had towards me can be talked about out loud."

"What are you talking about?" Obito asked, cocking his head slightly.

"Oh, I imagine everyone's talking bad about me now. I knew they resented me before, but now they can feel good about that instead of feeling petty for it." Madara said.

"Why would people resent you before you were the one who probably killed a friend of theirs?"

Madara scoffed. "Please. Like you weren't one of them." He said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I was the favorite child. Better grades, better fighter, got the girl you thought you loved."

"Let's not forget to put arrogant on that list." Obito muttered.

"All of that practically breeds resentment. Which you took out in training to try to become a better fighter than me. I suppose that paid off. For other people, I was cold, smart, powerful enough to be considered for leader of a clan at sixteen, teacher's favorite, and with a hot girl. Now they can brag to their friends 'I always knew there was something wrong with him' and feel better about themselves. They wanted to be like me then, and now they can think how wonderful it is that they weren't." Madara continued without pause, as if Obito hadn't spoken.

"There is a lot of that being said." Obito admitted. "However, while no one agrees with the extremes you went to, some people are debating on just how bad what you did is if you did it because of the Uchihas killing Rin and your unborn child." Obito told him.

"Not surprised. People love controversy, and a villain with a good sob story always causes plenty of that." Madara said with a humorless chuckle.

"I don't know that I'd call you a villain." Obito said.

"You're biased." Madara told him.

"Probably." Obito shrugged his shoulders. "But I'm also biased the other way since it was my family that was killed."

"Unless you got particularly close to anyone while I was gone, I'm not sure how much bias that gives you."

"I liked Shisui. He was nice to me. Itachi's best friend."

"Sorry about that then." Madara said, and he did sound kind of sorry.

"Can't quite say I forgive you."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

"Visiting hours are over." Vashti called over to the twins without looking up from her manga.

"Are you coming back?" Madara asked him.

Obito kind of felt bad for him. He shouldn't, not after the things Madara had done, but he was still his brother and he couldn't help it. He was by himself, aside from guards who probably didn't like him, with just his thoughts about what had happened. "Yeah, I'll be here tomorrow. I might even bring some cards for you to kick my ass at poker." He said, giving a small smile.

Madara nodded, tentatively returning the smile, and Obito started walking away.

"Hey, Obito!" Madara called, stopping him when he was almost out the door. "That boyfriend of yours really cares about you. Keep him." Madara told him. It was actually the only time he could remember Madara approving of one of his boyfriends. He'd never thought they were good enough for his twin.

"I plan to." Obito flashed a bright smile before leaving.

He still couldn't forgive Madara, but he wasn't giving up on him. And he meant what he said. He had no plans of losing Kakashi any time soon.


End file.
